Rothesay role in NHS anti-smoking film

The Last Cigarette, a new promotional film produced by Spirit Aid for the NHS, is accompanied by a documentary featuring music composed by Tony Spencer, who retired last year as the island's instrumental music instructor. A group of Rothesay Academy pupils was also involved in the production of the film.

Craig Borland

A health promotion film warning young people about the dangers of smoking received its premiere in Dunoon this week - with a little help from Rothesay along the way.

Tony Spencer, formerly the island’s instrumental music instructor, was asked to compose some of the music for the film, The Last Cigarette - and though Tony’s contribution didn’t make it on to the final cut of the film, it does feature heavily in an accompanying documentary interviewing some of the key figures behind the project the project.

In addition, four Rothesay Academy pupils - Tia Nicholson, Robert Deans, Jack Deans and Michael Sweeney - were recruited as ‘extras’ for the film, alongside the main cast members from Dunoon Grammar School and television, stage actor and director David Hayman, whose charity, Spirit Aid, was commissioned by NHS Highland to make both the film and the documentary.

Tony and the pupils travelled to Dunoon for the premiere on March 12.

“In June I took a group of students over to Dunoon to see some of the filming and for them to appear as extras in the film,” Tony said.

“Although they didn’t use the music I composed in the final film I was pleased that it was used in the documentary, and we enjoyed going back to Dunoon to see the finished product.”